February  2016
In This Issue
2016
Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE


President
Ed Byers


Vice President
Thom Fladung


Secretary
Amy McGahan


Treasurer
Carol Kovach

TRUSTEES

Rita Andolsen


John Betchkal

 
Mary Lou Brink

 
Toni Garbo


Jennifer Keirn
 
Russ Mitchell
Russ Mitchell


Lee Moran


Kathleen Osborne


Mary Patton


Denise Polverine


Joe Pulizzi


Todd Schneider

Past President

Michael Bennett

ADMINISTRATION
Lynn Bracic
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From the President - Ed Byers

February greetings,

It was great to see a packed house for The Plain Dealer's George Rodrigue luncheon at North Point Tower, January 20. Press Club programming chief Jennifer Keirn has some parting-thoughts on the event as you scroll down below.

We are looking forward to this month's discussion about the threat of terrorism here at home. Check out the nationally-renowned panel we have in place. Cleveland-based school safety expert Ken Trump is the NBC Nightly News' Lester Holt's go-to-guy when it comes to school safety issues. Tim Dimoff is one of the best in the business when it comes to workplace safety and Dr. Tom Evans is a former CIA profiler and long-time  Middle East terrorism expert. Bill Wills of WTAM NewsRadio 1100 will moderate.

Welcome to new Press Club board members Mary Lou Brink, The Plain Dealer's business editor, and MetroHealth director of communications, Rita Andolsen. Glad to have you with us.

Also in this edition, you find out how you can nominate a colleague, or former colleague, for
The Press Club of Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame and the Chuck Heaton Award. The nomination period is open until May 2nd, but please do it now; don't put it off.

In the meantime, don't forget - the deadline is March 2 for your Excellence in Journalism entries.

I hope to see you at the Music Box Supper Club on the 15th.

-Ed

New Press Club Email Address

In case you haven't noticed, we have a new email address: pressclubcle@gmail.com . Please be sure to delete the old "oh.rr" domain from your email address list. 
Save the Date - June 3, 2016 
The Press Club of Cleveland's 2016 Excellence in Journalism Awards
 
Excellence in Journalism Awards -
We Are Looking for Your Best

The deadline for entering your best work in the 38th annual Press Club of Cleveland All-Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards is March 7th. You upload the form for judging online, so it's a quick and easy process. The Awards event is June 3 at the House of Blues, downtown Cleveland.
 
The 2016 Press Club of Cleveland Excellence in Journalism Awards will be held Friday June 3 at the House of Blues, 308 Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland. Reception at 5:30 p.m. Dinner at 6:30. 
Welcome new members
Mary Beth Breckenridge
 
Mary Beth Breckenridge is a feature writer at the Akron Beacon Journal who specializes in home and garden topics. She joined the newspaper in 1987.
 
In more than three decades in journalism, she has worked in a wide variety of reporting and editing jobs, including covering the first bribery and corruption trial of then-Mahoning County Sheriff Jim Traficant. She has won national awards for feature writing and for informational and humorous column writing from the National Association of Real Estate Editors, the National Federation of Press Women and the American Home Furnishings Alliance.
 
She is a graduate of Miami University and an Ohio State University master gardener volunteer.
 
Her husband, Tom, is a Press Club of Cleveland member. 

Why I joined the Press Club: I want to expand my circle of contacts within the news industry and in related fields, and I've been impressed by the Press Club events I've attended.
Meredith Traxler
 
Meredith Traxler is a Media Relations Account Manager at Stevens Strategic Communications, Inc.   Stevens Strategic Communications is a full-service integrated marketing, corporate and crisis communications firm located in Westlake, Ohio. She has worked on accounts such as Domino's, Eriez Magnetics and Hopewell.

Meredith is a graduate from Cleveland State University where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Finance. She resides in Avon and in her spare time, enjoys the outdoors and playing with her cat, Skipper.

Why I joined the Press Club: I am excited to meet and learn from members of The Press Club of Cleveland. This will help me align our clients' objectives with media needs.

Hall of Fame and Heaton Award Nominations
 
It is never too early to begin calling for nominations to The Press Club Hall of Fame and Chuck Heaton Award nominees. So, here we go.

Nominations for The Press Club of Cleveland Journalism Hall Fame and the 2016 Chuck Heaton Award are being accepted until May 2.
 
Nominations should include contact information for both the nominator and the candidate, and as much biographical information about the nominee as possible.
 
Send nominations by e-mail to The Press Club of Cleveland at pressclubcle@gmail.
 
Please put: "Hall of Fame Nominee" in your subject line.
 
Or, you can snail-mail them to:
 
The Press Club of Cleveland:
c/o HOF Nominations
28022 Osborn Road
Cleveland, OH 44140

2016 Events 
Plain Dealer Editor George Rodrigue: "A Conversation - My First Year Covering the CLE"

  
 
By Jennifer Keirn, Programming Chair, The Press Club of Cleveland

A packed house
greeted Plain Dealer Editor George Rodrigue at North Point Tower auditorium Jan. 20. It's been one year since Rodrigue arrived in Cleveland to become editor of The Plain Dealer and it's been an eventful one.

Rodrigue shared his thoughts and perspectives from his first year on the job, emphasizing the need for engagement with readers, and repeatedly encouraged those with feedback to come straight to him.

But whether they are native-born or transplants, Rodrigue said the biggest thing he's learned from the last year is the loyalty so many Clevelanders have to their city.

Rodrigue also discussed his role overseeing a significant turning point for Ohio's largest newspaper, which continues to make changes to ensure its survival. Most recently, that meant a smaller trim size, more visual elements and a greater focus on solutions journalism. 

 
Coming Up This Month, February 15: "Terrorism - How Is It Changing Our Lives?" 
 
T his event, moderated by NewsRadio WTAM 1100's Bill Wills, will feature Tim Dimoff, Dr. Tom Evans and Ken Trump, world-renowned security experts, discussing the real threat of Terrorism at work, school and here in our area. Tickets for this event are on sale now.

You can sign up by clicking this link
    
In March: Content Marketing: Opportunity or Competition for Journalists?
Moderated by Press Club Vice President and former Plain Dealer Managing Editor, Thom Fladung, this panel discussion features Joe Pulizzi of the Content Marketing Institute, former Crain's Cleveland Business reporter and newly named Crain Content Studio manager Amy Ann Stoessel and Plain Dealer Business Reporter Janet Cho.